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Waxey Gordon
Waxey Gordon (played by Nick Sandow) is a Philadelphia crime boss and bootlegger. He is based on the historical figure of the same name. Biography Background Gordon has an eight year business relationship with Manny Horvitz. Horvitz is the boss of the Jew Town neighborhood in Philadelphia. Gordon has alienated Manny by failing to deliver on promises made. Gordon is also an associate of New York crime boss Arnold Rothstein. Season 2 Rothstein arranges for Gordon to receive a 20% cut of Atlantic County Treasurer Nucky Thompson's bootlegging operation. Nucky has been unable to offload shipments of liquor in Atlantic City because of interference from the Coast Guard, and Gordon will be responsible for receiving shipments in Philadelphia and handing them over to Rothstein's men for transport to Atlantic City by road. Nucky chairs a meeting in the sitting room of his suite at the Ritz Carlton in Atlantic City. Seated in the centre of the room are alcohol importer Bill McCoy, Nucky’s bootlegging manager Chalky White, Rothstein and Gordon. At the edge of the room are Nucky’s driver and enforcer Owen Sleater, Rothstein's protégé Lucky Luciano, Luciano's associate Meyer Lansky and Philadelphia gangster Herman Kaufman. With Atlantic City blockaded by the Coast Guard they are there to arrange delivery of McCoy’s shipments via Philadelphia. If the clear skies hold McCoy is planning to weigh anchor close to shore near Philadelphia at 2 a.m. the following night. Waxey explains that he will transport the liquor ashore in speedboats and has a dozen of them at his disposal. He estimates that this step can be completed in under an hour. Nucky and McCoy worry about the Coast Guard around Philadelphia and Rothstein confirms that Waxey has assured their safety. Waxey states that the guarantee of plain sailing is what he is being paid for. Nucky gripes about Waxey’s twenty percent share. Rothstein explains that once ashore the crates will be put onto trucks by Waxey’s men. Waxey points out Kaufman as the supervisor for this step and states that the trucks will be driven to the border of Atlantic City where Luciano and Lansky will complete the journey. Luciano complains to Rothstein that Waxey should earn his share by having his men complete the journey. Waxey compares Luciano to a woman asking to be walked home and Kaufman jokes about needing a good night kiss. Luciano threatens Kaufman and Lansky quiets Luciano. Chalky tells Luciano that he will expect delivery around 5 a.m. and reminds Luciano to signal his arrival with flashing headlights. Rothstein looks at Nucky and Nucky nods his assent. ("The Age of Reason") Nucky escorts Gordon and Kaufman out of the hotel. As they walk along the boardwalk they are spotted by Nucky's rival Jimmy Darmody. Gordon recruited Kaufman as a spy inside Manny Horvitz's Philadelphia organization. Jimmy has previously met Kaufman with Horvitz and informs Horvitz about the siting. Horvitz captures and tortures Kaufman before having Darmody kill him. Kaufman reveals Nucky's deal with Gordon before his death. Horvitz and Jimmy set up a hijack for the shipment once it is under Rothstein's protection. The shipment is allowed to reach Atlantic City when Horvitz and Jimmy form a bargain with Luciano and Lansky to take control of the entire bootlegging operation. Manny nevertheless kills one of Gordon's men, Nathan Klein. Gordon remains unaware of the bargain. ("The Age of Reason") Nucky retires as Atlantic County Treasurer and goes to Ireland. ("Two Boats and a Lifeguard") Waxey is invited to meet with Jimmy at his home in Atlantic City. He takes Alfred Gordetsky to the meeting. Jimmy begins by asking if he can call him Waxey and then wonders if it is short for something or a nickname. Waxey chastises Alfred for his overzealous use of a toothpick and Alfred complains that he has a piece of meat stuck between his teeth. Waxey reminds him that his is in company. Waxey says that they have an associate in common and Jimmy clarifies that he is referring to Manny Horvitz. Waxey denigrates Manny’s profession as a butcher, saying that he works with animals and fits in with them. Jimmy agrees with this assessment of Manny. Waxey wonders what Jimmy can offer him and Jimmy suggests information. He tells Waxey that Manny killed Kaufman and another in a hijacking attempt outside Philadelphia. Waxey names the second man, Nathan Klein, and Alfred adds that his corpse was desecrated by animals before it was discovered; half of his face chewed off by racoons. Waxey glances at Richard Harrow and then back at Alfred who realizes his mistake and says he meant nothing by it. Waxey wonders how Jimmy knows of Manny’s involvement and Jimmy admits that he was standing next to him at the time. Waxey wonders if Jimmy could have stopped the killing and Harrow interjects that Horvitz did not ask permission. Waxey asks Jimmy to explain what happened to Kaufman and Jimmy warns him to be careful where he buys his meats. Waxey asks if Jimmy is going to offer him a drink and Jimmy turns and nods for Harrow to do so while they sit down. Waxey says that he dealt with Nucky last time he was in Atlantic City and Jimmy asserts that he should deal with him from now on. Jimmy states that with their cities in close proximity they can do great things together. Waxey says that before they proceed Alfred needs to take care of business at home. Alfred understands his meaning and jokingly says that they have an unpaid bill at the butchers. Waxey puts it more plainly saying that Horvitz is a dead man and asks if this is a problem. Jimmy says that it might be but that it is not his. Waxey raises his glass and Jimmy gives his habitual toast “to the lost.” Alfred later botches the assassination attempt and Manny kills him and finds a box of toothpicks from Heilig's chop house, Atlantic City in his pockets. ("Battle of the Century") Season 3 Waxey Gordon's grip over Philadelphia has expanded considerably in the 16 months since Manny Horvitz was forced to leave the town, to the point that he can use dirty Prohibition agents to raid his enemies' liquor reserves for him. One of these raids targets Rowland Smith's stash in an abandoned house in late January 1923. ("Blue Bell Boy") Waxey Gordon is summoned by Nucky to the Ritz Carlton Hotel along with Bill Lovett, Peg Leg Lonergan, Frankie Yale, Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano and Arnold Rothstein (plus Johnny Torrio, who declines to attend) following the bombing of Babette's in May 1923 in an attempt to build a grand coalition against Gyp Rosetti and his boss, Joe Masseria. From the start, Waxey is uninterested, claiming that he has no beef with Rosetti and that he doesn't want trouble. Nucky replies that with Rosetti around he'll have trouble sooner or later, and tries to convince Waxey Gordon and the rest mentioning that he has political contacts in Washington, DC and offering to divide the markets freed by George Remus' recent arrest and coexist in peace, as partners, regardless of their different ethnicities. However, and like the rest, Gordon declines the offer following Arnold Rothstein's example. ("Season 3, Episode 9") Relationships *Manny Horvitz - Disgruntled business partner (deceased) *Herman Kaufman - Enforcer and spy on Horvitz (deceased) *Arnold Rothstein - Business partner (deceased) *Nucky Thompson - Business partner (deceased) *Bill McCoy - Bootlegging supplier *Lucky Luciano - Business associate *Meyer Lansky - Business associate *Nathan Klein - Employee (deceased) *Alfred Gordetsky - Employee (deceased) Memorable Quotes *Manny Horvitz: ''"And Waxey Gordon is a cocksucking piece of shit. He is a greedy prick, with his hand in my ass pocket where my wallet should be. Promises made, and now where am I?" ''("What Does the Bee Do?") Appearances Category:Season 2 Category:Philadelphia Category:Gangsters Category:Historical figures Category:Jewish people Category:Memorable Quotes Category:Season 3 Category:Recurring Characters